Mum Speaks Out After Ex-Partner Cleared of Son’s Death in Tractor Tragedy

The mother of a three-year-old boy who tragically died after being run over by a tractor has spoken out following the acquittal of her ex-partner, who was cleared of his death. Albie Speakman was fatally injured on July 16, 2022, when his father, Neil Speakman, reversed a telehandler into him in Bury.

Albie’s devastated mother, Leah Bridge, was present in court when the verdict was delivered and appeared visibly upset. She described her heartbreak on social media, writing: “My perfect little sunshine boy, I am so unbelievably sorry. I just can’t comprehend what has happened. I will forever remain broken. I will forever remain without you. The world is a very unjust place to live, and I feel numb.”

Leah, who separated from Mr. Speakman shortly after Albie’s birth, added, “Our story will soon be told Albie. I love you endlessly my sunshine boy. Until we meet again, your tiny heart can rest in much more peace than you ever experienced on this earth”, reported by the Daily Record.

The tragic incident occurred in a yard next to a small garden at the front of a farmhouse on Bentley Hall Road, Walshaw. Earlier that day, Albie had been left to play with two pet dogs while his father operated the telehandler. Despite having used the machine before, Mr. Speakman was not officially trained, and the telehandler was found to have several defects, including a missing wing mirror. The prosecution argued that Albie’s death was a result of Mr. Speakman’s negligence, which created a significant risk of death.

A health and safety inspection later found that the defects on the telehandler hindered its safe operation. The report concluded that it was “foreseeable that persons in the vicinity of the vehicle could be injured or killed when the vehicle was working,” particularly a person of smaller stature, such as Albie.

On February 4, jurors found Mr. Speakman not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. However, he had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a section of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Albie would often stay at the farm on alternate weekends, and it was on the morning of July 16 that Leah dropped him off. After the incident, Mr. Speakman ran into the house and urgently asked his partner to call an ambulance. “He said something like, ‘I caught him with the tractor, I got him’,” the court was told.

The family flagged down a passing ambulance on the way to the hospital, but despite paramedics’ best efforts, Albie was pronounced dead that afternoon at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. A post-mortem revealed that he had suffered “multiple crush injuries” to his head, body, and legs.

Mr. Speakman will be sentenced later for breaching health and safety regulations. A pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 28.